The Workers’ Party wishes to note its disappointment at the leaking of the details of the Mother and Baby Home Commission report to the media.

This action has caused a huge amount of distress to survivors who will have read this report in the newspaper yesterday with surprise and shock having expected to receive a copy of the report on Tuesday.

The leaking of this report is an incredibly insensitive and upsetting action and a total breach of trust. Survivors have understandably stated that they are hurt and angry.

The fact that the Government had previously tried to seal this information for 30 years makes was insulting enough to the survivors of this appalling, shameful and dark period of our history, it is made even more disgraceful that survivors have had to read this information in a Sunday newspaper. Minister O’Gorman has stated that he was ‘deeply angered’ by the leak yet he was one of the many TDs who ensured the protection of Leo Varadkar after it was revealed he had leaked a confidential document with the IMO to his friend in the rival NAGP. The fact that this behaviour went unpunished has set a precedent for the leaking of confidential documents and we wonder just how zealous the Government will really be in taking action against those who leaked the document relating to the mother and baby homes. A full independent investigation must take place into how this document was leaked to the press.

In addition to this, the media must really take a look at how it handled this sensitive information and apologise to the survivors for their complete lack of sensitivity or empathy towards them.